 | ■ International
US announces extension to Iran nuclear agreement
美國宣布，伊朗核子協議談判期限延後
Iran nuclear talks face obstacles even with more time
雖然進行談判的時間延長，但伊朗核子談判仍然面臨障礙 |
| The United States and Iran hope a new deadline for nuclear talks will allow them to finally reach a deal. But Tehran's apparent reluctance to compromise may soon leave U.S. negotiators running out of ideas on how to reduce Iran's capacity to make nuclear arms. Western diplomats familiar with the talks said on Nov. 25 they have agreed on little more than to keep talking until June 30, after failing to substantially narrow various disagreements by the Nov. 24 deadline in Vienna. Based on the information from the diplomats, progress made so far has mostly stemmed from the U.S. and its allies revising positions closer to the minimum of what they may be able to accept. Iran's demands, in contrast, have changed less. | 美國與伊朗希望核子會談的新截止期限，能讓雙方終於達成協議。然而，德黑蘭當局顯然不願意妥協的態度，很快就可能會讓美國的談判代表在如何降低伊朗製造核武的能力方面，陷入山窮水盡的窘境。熟知談 判過程內幕的西方國家外交官於十一月廿五日表示，在十一月廿四日的談判截止期限之前，由於雙方於維也納未能在化解彼此間的各種歧見方面取得進展，因此雙方充其量只是同意繼續談判到明年六月卅日為止。據這些外交官透露的訊息顯示，到目前為止所取得的進展，主要來自美國及其盟邦將自己的立場修正至自己所能接受的最低底限。相形之下，伊朗的要求則變動較少。 |
| While Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader, has backed the nuclear negotiations, he indicated that his country would stand firm, saying Washington and its European allies will be unable "to bring the Islamic Republic to its knees." Washington believes that "no deal is better than a bad deal," and extending the talks has put off a decision on whether to walk away from them rather than give up too much. But while the U.S. administration may opt for more room to negotiate on the size and capacity of Iran's nuclear program, powerful skeptics believe the U.S. may be compromising too much. | 伊朗最高宗教領袖哈米尼雖然支持核子談判，不過他指出，該國會堅守立場，並表示華府當局及其歐洲盟邦將無法「讓該伊斯蘭共和國屈服」。華府方面則相信「沒有協議總比壞協議要來得好」，而延後談判期限則會暫時擱置是否避免做出太多讓步而中斷談判的決定。然而，美國政府雖然可能選擇以時間換取空間，在伊朗核子計畫的規模與能力方面進行談判，不過十分質疑此事的人士卻認為，美國政府可能做出了太多的讓步。 |
| Shortly after the extension announcement, Senator Mark Kirk, an Illinois Republican, pledged to come forward with a new bipartisan sanctions package. Kirk's work with Democratic Senator Bob Menendez of New Jersey on oil sanctions had helped drive Iran to the negotiating table. Menendez suggested similar action, saying he'd work "to ensure that Iran comprehends that we will not ever permit it to become a threshold nuclear state." | 在談判期限延後的決定宣布不久之後，美國伊利諾州共和黨參議員馬克寇克矢言，將提出新的跨黨派制裁方案。他和紐澤西州民主黨籍參議員鮑伯梅南德茲共同主導的石油禁運措施，曾把伊朗逼上談判桌。他建議採行類似的措施，並表示他會努力「讓伊朗完全明白，美國絕對不允許伊朗成為核門檻國家」。 |
| The key to an agreement for the U.S. is capping Iran's uranium enrichment program. Iran denies any interest in atomic arms and says it needs to enrich to make reactor fuel and other peaceful uses. But the West fears that Tehran could ramp up the program and enrich to levels used for the fissile core of nuclear weapons. Iran now has nearly 10,000 centrifuges enriching uranium. Washington came to the negotiating table 10 months ago demanding that Tehran cut down that number to less than 2,000 in an attempt to increase the time Iran would need to make enough weapons-grade uranium from a few months to a year or more. | 對美國政府來說，達成協議的關鍵是替伊朗的濃縮鈾計畫設置上限。伊朗否認對製造核武有任何的興趣，並表示該國是為了製造反應爐燃料與其他和平用途，才需要濃縮鈾。不過西方國家憂心，德黑蘭當局會強化這項計畫，然後製造用來進行核武分裂核心等級的濃縮鈾。伊朗目前有近一萬部離心機在濃縮鈾。當美國政府十個月前上談判桌的時候，便要求德黑蘭當局將離心機的數目減少至兩千部以下，這樣伊朗製造足夠核武等級鈾所需要的時間，會從幾個月延長至一年以上。 |
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